The presidents of Spanish football’s regional federations, summoned by the federation’s interim president, demanded on Monday the immediate resignation of Luis Rubiales, who is the subject of a preliminary investigation into sexual assault following a forced kiss by Jenny Hermoso. .
The Spanish football boss sparked outrage by kissing Jenny Hermoso on the lips on the World Cup podium on August 20 in Sydney after La Roja’s coronation.
“Following recent events and unacceptable behavior that has severely damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents are asking Luis Rubiales to resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” the federation said in a statement.
The call came after a meeting of the presidents of the regions of the federation urgently convened by Pedro Rocha, who has been interim president of the RFEF since Luis Rubiales was suspended from his post by FIFA, the international football organization.
They also advocate for a “deep and immediate restructuring of the Federation’s strategic positions in order to pave the way for a new phase in the management of Spanish football”.
“Sexual Crime”
Pressure has grown and escalated in recent days as Rubiales, 46, announced to everyone’s surprise last Friday that he was refusing to step down.
Following FIFA’s decision on Saturday to suspend him “from all football-related activities at the national and international level” for 90 days, he is now under preliminary investigation for sexual assault.
This investigation, the prosecution said in a press release, is linked to “facts that may constitute the crime of sexual assault.” The Spanish Justice invites Jenny Hermoso to contact her “within 15 days” to “be informed of her rights as a victim” and “file a complaint” if she so wishes.
According to the prosecution, the complaint of the 33-year-old Spanish international is necessary to start a possible trial against the president of the RFEF, an RFEF spokesman told AFP. The Spanish government-occupied Sports Administrative Court (TAD) convened on Monday to look into a leftist chief executive’s complaint against Luis Rubiales.
The case, already dubbed the “#MeToo of Spanish football” and eclipsing the title of world champion in women’s beauty, caused a wave of indignation both in Spain and abroad.
Several men’s and women’s soccer teams across the country have put up banners or T-shirts reading #SeAcabo (let’s end this) demanding an end to impunity for sexist acts and sexual assault, a slogan that has gone viral on social media.
For #ContigoJenni (together with you Jenny), the Norwegian men’s and women’s teams were the first to jointly support Jenny Hermoso on Monday.
“I don’t have my consent”
The condemnations extend beyond the world of football, Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol, and even sports, Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman. In a country that is considered very advanced in terms of women’s rights, the socialist government of Pedro Sanchez is particularly aggressive against Luis Rubiales.
“Faced with a non-consensual kiss,” which could constitute sexual assault under the Spanish penal code, “the government has an obligation to act,” Equality Minister Irene Montero said on Monday. Rubiales, who has criticized alleged “false feminism” by saying he has no intention of resigning, insists there was “agreement” to the kiss.
But the version of the former defender was categorically denied by the world champion, who said that she felt “vulnerable and a victim of an attack (…) without any consent on my part.”
After condemning the “harassment” that Luis Rubiales would face, his mother began a hunger strike at a church in Motril (south), Vanessa Ruiz Behar, cousin of the federation’s president, told the press.
RFEF is in the process of applying to host the 2030 FIFA World Cup with Portugal and Morocco. 23 players in Australia’s crowned group refuse to play under current management, and six members of the women’s selection leadership resigned on Saturday.